#so frustrated constantly playing this game but also i love the atmosphere. constantly delighted to be playing it

[vulpinesaint]

bloodborne as a game really is tailor made for me. fought the bloodstarved beast today and like. man. yeah. that fucks. and then got to the healing church with the constant ominous choral background as you go through the cathedral all covered in blood... i mean you guys know me. stuff to make me go insane

[crazyyanderefangirlfan]

Living up to the Name pt 3

"Out of all possible scenarios, he chose this," Jack grumbled. As he and Ruggie tried to concentrate on finding a familiar smell.

"Don't be a buzzkill, Jack. Besides, she looked excited." The hyena pointed out. Recalling how the girl bounced excitedly at Leona's suggestion.

"Still, This feels wrong." He retorted.

Leona decided to move their training to the forest, in his words 'to give a fair advantage.'

"Oi! Jack, be quiet. You'll give away our position." A jaguar upperclassman harshly whispered. He and two more students were sniffing the air, then the jaguar froze.

"Shit, she-" A kick to his face cut him off before he could finish. The figure leaped up and landed on a tree branch high up.

"You guys have to do better than that to catch me~" A sing-song voice called from above.

Valerie smiled sweetly above them, but her mocking glare proved otherwise.

Thanks to her transformation, all her abilities have been drastically enhanced. She was faster, her kicks were more powerful, and her danger sense, or what she likes to call 'Bunny sense' was dialed up to a 100. Making it easier to avoid predators, aka Savanaclaw.

"Gotta go. I have more faces to kick and prides to ruin." She blew them a kiss and disappeared through the thicket of the trees.

"She's so hot."

Heads' snapped to the bear first-year, whose glazed eyes still stared at the spot she's been on.

"Fangirl about her later! We're still in the middle of something." The jaguar snapped at him. The bear blushed and muttered incoherently under his breathe.

Ruggie ran his fingers through his hair. They need a strategy to catch her, which involves teamwork, and knowing how NRC students are, this will be hell.

"I wonder how that lazy lion is doing?" He mused.

She was better at hiding than Leona gave her credit for.

The first half-hour of their training was spent looking for the girl. Which wasn't hard, with that delightful scent of hers. It leads them farther to the forest, where the foliage is dense enough to hide a dead body.

Clever, Herbivore. But not enough.

Honestly, he was a little disappointed with her idea. He was expecting a challenge since she loved giving it to him.

Tearing through the thicket, he and his dorm mates prowled the area. Each of them in various corners, in an attempt to locater her better.

"Senior Leona." A jackal beastman spoke up.

"What is it?"

"It's miss Valerie's scent. Something's up." He replied, sniffing the air.

Leona took a whiff, and sure enough, it smelled faint and all over the place?

"Masking your scent with mud. Herbivore? Heh, at least your trying."

The lion nodded to his dorm mates, who proceeded to split up and try to find their prey the girl.

The jackal perked up when the sweet aroma was much more potent. Nudging to a leopard beastman who seemed to realized as well.

As quietly as they could, they snuck up to a large hedge that permeated with her scent.

They crept closer and closer and closer...

They pounced. Once the students felt something soft, their hold tightened.

Leona paused from tearing another bush. Happy shouts were clear as day.

Good, they found her.

He jogged his way over to his fresh babies. However, as he got near, there was a change in the atmosphere. Silence replaced the noise; it was almost ominous.

Valerie's scent changed the most; it was so faint and different.

He finally reached the clearing. Their backs were turned to him, and he couldn't see what they were holding.

"Oi."

The jackal and leopard rapidly turned to face him, hiding their captured prey behind their back.

"S-Senior Leona!" The leopard stammered.

"What's up with you two? Didn't you shout you have her?"

"Uhh...W-wait! Senior Leona!" The jackal exclaimed in surprise when the lion marched towards them. Pushing them aside to see the girl-

That's not Valerie.

In front of him was a large and plump brown rabbit, and it was wearing her vest.

Everything up till now began to make sense, causing Leona to chuckle.

"So that's the real plan, huh?"

His ears twitched as the wind picked up. His eyes narrowed.

"Move back!" The lion ordered. Jumping to the shade of the trees.

But it was too late. The freshmen were down before they could do anything. Standing on top of their bodies was the very girl they were chasing.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out. You really are losing your edge, Kitty."

Valerie giggled at Leona's snarling face. She tugged her vest off the rabbit; before disappearing.

Leona could feel his blood boil. From frustration or excitement, he wasn't sure at this point, but he does know one thing.

Valerie just cemented her role as prey.

-----------------------------------------

It's been hours, and not one of them had a chance to catch her. There were a few close calls, but she always managed to be two steps ahead of them. It doesn't help that she mocks them for every failed attempt. One of them got angry enough a tried to bite her, but Valerie kicked his jaw before he could.

On the bright side, the boys could feel their bodies improving. They still have a long way to go, but it's progress.

Valerie nimbly landed on the ground, catching her breath. It's been a long time she did something like this.

A wistful smile formed on her face as she remembered the times she and her mom played tag. Her mother used the game as a form of training for her speed, stamina, and agility. Being a competitive child she was, she got too into it.

'Thinking about it now, mom used a lot of ordinary games as a form of training.' The opal-eyed girl mused.

Wiping her brow, she glanced at the sky. She couldn't tell how much had passed, but she could guess it was nearly noon.

Suddenly, her ears stood up. There was aloud howling in the distance, followed by more animalistic sounds, till it became a wild symphony.

"The hell?" The brunette muttered in confusion. She winced and held her head. The downside of having enhanced hearing is that everything is louder, and this wild symphony giving her a headache.

"Pull it together, Valerie. You dealt with worse." She mumbled, even slapping her face for good measure.

With new vigor, Valerie pushed forward through the forest, even as her whole body screamed to find somewhere to hide.

Sigh, prey instincts.

Though she kept her opal eyes ahead, she in-tuned with her surroundings. Her ears now worked as antennas, constantly on high alert to warn her of predators.

Her ears twitched; she jumped left just in time to dodge a pouncing jaguar beastman. A low growl escaped the jaguar's throat and pounced again.

Valerie waited till he was near enough and delivered a front kick beneath his jaw. He staggered back in pain, giving her enough time to rush forward, and low swept him. He groaned in pain once his back felt the impact.

"You predators are really losing your edge if you kept getting your asses beaten by a rabbit. But then again, it's me" The girl deviously smiled at the fallen student.

The girl sensed another presence behind her and jumped to the trees. She narrowed her eyes at the culprit.

"Such an arrogant statement coming from a tiny herbivore. Looks like we have to put you in your place."

Leona emerged from the thicket with a cocky smirk in place and an unreadable glint in his eyes.

Valerie remained silent, simply assessing the number of beastmen present. There were seven of them; easy. There was also no sign of Jack and Ruggie, but they could be hiding.

"How can you call my words arrogant? I'm simply stating the truth." She retorted, smirking down at him.

"Let's just see how true your words are when I have my fangs on your neck."

"Before that, perhaps should I suffocate you between my thighs?"

"Heh, only after I crush your legs."

"Are...They flirting?" Questioned a bewildered ocelot beastman.

"I thought she was stupid when it comes to romance?" Added a dingo.

"Try not to think about it." Advised a lynx.

"Sorry, kitty kay, I may have agreed to help you guys in training, but I'm not going to bow down to you."

"Likewise, Herbivore."

A mischievous smile formed on her face. The girl launched herself out of the tree and aimed a kick to his face, but he blocked it. Valerie quickly switched to jabbing his left side.

Leona slammed his eyes shut, a deep growl resonated within him. He attempted to grab her arm. But she leaped up and delivered a front kick to his chin, pushing him away from her. However, she was now surrounded by other beastmen.

Valerie avoided an oncoming punch from the dingo and delivered one to his gut. He recoiled in pain and clutched his stomach. Her ears twitched and sidestepped, just in time for a charging lynx to crash into him.

Twitching again, she turned around and caught the ocelot's leg; she spun him around while knocking out three more before throwing him.

Satisfied that she took care of the beta males, she turned her attention back to the alpha. Only to realize that he disappeared.

Her whole body was on high alert. She took a battle stance, surveying her surrounding. She cursed herself for being so careless; he used them as decoys. Like she did.

"Touché, Kitty." She muttered.

Deciding she stayed long enough, she ran in the opposite direction.

Valerie bit her bottom lip once she heard footsteps behind her.

He really wanted to turn this into a real hunt.

Fine, she'll give him one.

Increasing her speed, she sprinted through the area utilizing the trees as boosters.

She glanced behind her and clenched her jaw. Leona was nowhere in sight. She had two ideas: Either he took a detour and was waiting to pounce on her or, she lost him; she hoped it was the latter.

Biting her inner cheek, she was about to take a turn when she heard footsteps. She jumped back, narrowly avoiding a claw to her face.

"I was wondering where you were, never thought you actually risk an ambush." The opal-eyed girl remarked as she kept her distance from him, taking up a fighting stance.

"If I'm up against you? I'll try anything." The male retorted mirroring her movements.

The wolf and rabbit glared at each other, waiting for one of them to make a move. It was as if the area went still around them, blocking out all noise; only the thumping of their hearts was heard.

Jack was the first to move. He ran forward with the girl following the suit, but once close enough, she leaped up and stomped on his head. He staggered back, gritting his teeth and holding his head. Valerie landed behind him, giving a swift kick to his side; the wolf fell to his side, hissing at the impact.

A deep growl escaped his throat when he heard her laughter; he swiped underneath her legs. The girl fell back, wide-eyed, and internally cursed herself for letting her guard down.

Picking himself up, he grabbed her ankle and flung her to the trees. The girl shrieked in pain, coughing; she found specks of blood on the ground, her blood. Although she struggled to stand up, she had enough energy to avoid Jack's next attack.

Jack swung his fist to her face, but she intercepted by grabbing his arm and flipped him to the ground. He grunted in pain when Valerie placed her foot on his chest.

"I thought I might return a favor fluffy." She smirked at his fallen body. He glared up at her. She was about to make another comment when her ears twitched, frowning; she leaped up to the trees and glared at the intruder.

"Damn, and here I was going to surprise you. Then again, those ears of yours work just like satellites, shishishishi." Ruggie laughed as she strolled through the area.

"I keep getting more surprises."

Just like lighting, she sprung herself out of the tree and delivered a direct kick to Ruggie's gut. The poor hyena coughed up blood upon the impact and curled up into a ball once he fell on the ground. All the while groaning in pain.

"And here I thought he would at least withstand half of it, oh well." She ducked down, already sensing Jack's incoming punch, and kicked his chest.

It knocked him a few feet away from her; Jack felt something dribble down his chin, wiping he found bits of blood coating it.

Clenching his fist; a low growl erupted his throat; charging, he swung his fist narrowly, hitting her face. Valerie responded by front kicking his chin; Jack grunted but didn't falter in his movements.

Valerie unleashed a barrage of kicks, driving him back until he felt the tree behind him. Jack gritted his teeth but bared with it; he waited until he found an opening between her kicks. She paused for a second, but it was all Jack needed. He socked her in the gut, successfully pushing her back.

She gasped at the impact, wincing at the pain on her stomach that she failed to notice Jack grabbing her body and slammed her to the ground. He reached to grab her ears, but the opal-eyed girl rolled away and swiped under his legs. Jack fell back, glaring up at the now standing girl.

"You know you can't beat me." She panted.

Blood was dripping down at the side of her face. The sun was behind her forming a shadow over her eyes giving them a glow. She looked like a predator.

"I know, but he can." He countered.

Before Valerie could decipher his words. She was lifted up again, but this time pinned to the ground.

"Looks like you forgot something, Herbivore." Hot breathe tickled her face as familiar hands kept a firm grip on her.

"A lion always waits for their prey to lower their guard."

________________

"Ughhh, it hurts." Ruggie groaned. He laid on a bed with an ice pack on his stomach.

He and the rest of the Savanclaw students are in the infirmary. Each of them was the victim of the girl's brutal beatings.

"How the hell is someone so tiny is that insanely strong?" The leopard beastman muttered, nursing his jaw.

"The question is, is she even human?" The ocelot commented, bandages covering his body.

Speaking of her...

Valerie hissed when the ghost rubbed a special ointment of her back to heal the swelling. She was behind a curtain, giving her the privacy she needed.

"And there we go, you can put your shirt on and make sure to not put too much strain on yourself, young lady. I heard from the ghosts in Ramshackle you're the reckless type." The ghost gave her a mirthful smile. She chuckled.

"Yeah, I will."

"No, she won't." Grim chimed in.

He sat next to her on the bed and shot the girl a knowing look, to which she laughed nervously.

"I promise, really."

"You better, and you call me troublesome."

"Okay, okay, let's go." She picked him and stepped out of the curtain. She winced a bit when she saw how badly bruised they all looked.

"You really went all out on them." The cat monster commented; almost half of them were covered in bandages and band-aids.

"You know me, I always love a challenge." Her grin was filled with mischief.

She walked up to her favorite Savanaclaw trio. Jack was getting his face treated since she kicked there the most while Leona sat next to Ruggie since he had minor injuries.

"Hey, guys, who are you feeling?" She asked.

"Like a truck ran me over." The hyena retorted. The girl nervously laughed.

"Right, sorry."

"Don't be. You went all out; it's insulting if you didn't." Jack interjected. He hissed when the swab touched his hips lower lip.

"Don't talk, young man." Scolded the ghost.

"You were pretty good out there, Valerie. But you let your guard down too soon. Your lucky it was only training. Otherwise, you would have gotten eaten up." The lion smirked.

"As if I let you." She huffed.

"But, it has been a good experience. Might as well do this again next time." He added.

"Sure, I love to kick your butts and win next time." She gave a devil-like smile.

"Anyway, I have to wash up and head to Heartslyabul." She turned around, only bumped into the beastmen.

"Ah, I'm sorry-" She didn't get to finish when he briskly walked past her. Valerie observed his appearance; he had a pumpkin-colored reptile tail with burgundy fins and bronze horns. His body was wrapped in gauze and had bandages covering his arms.

"Don't take it too personally. He's still not used to being beaten by a woman." Leona spoke up.

"Mm? What do you mean?" The girl was puzzled.

"You see the guys with dragon tails?" He asked. Glancing around, she did notice a few of them. She locked eyes with one, he immediately looked away.

"They're from Cloud Valley; in their culture, women are treated lesser than men, always expected to be submissive, fragile, and obedient. The complete opposite to the women in the Afterglow Savannah." He elaborated.

"So it's a big shocked for them to know such a tiny prey can beat them so easily."

That filled her with pride. Her family raised her to be independent and strong; and above all, never take shit from misogynists.

"Oi! Kemonohito!" A voice boomed. Valerie winced at the frequency of his voice. Everyone's heads turned to see a dragonkin with a scarlet tail and white fins standing in front of her.

"I demand a re-match! Your abilities were just enhanced because your half rabbit. I refuse to acknowledge defeat by a woman!" He boomed.

"Maybe next time." She simply replied.

"Oh? What's this? Already backing down? Expected for a female to be too scared-"

"No. I already have plans this afternoon, not to mention your too injured. The opal-eyed girl interrupted, taking note of his bandaged face and body.

"This is nothing! Fight me!"

"Young man, no shouting." One ghost staff scolded, quickly leading him away from the girl and her monster.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go. See you guys."

________________

Valerie hummed a random tune as she dried her hair. Thanks to Amane giving her his credit card, she was able to buy the things she desperately needed, such has extra cleaning supplies , bathroom necessities and a hair dryer.

Putting the hair dryer down, she examined herself on the mirror. She wore a Heartslyabul uniform, switching out the pants with a pleated thigh length skirt, a white thigh-high on her right leg, a white crew length sock with black diamond pattern on her left and red and white sneakers. She also tied her ears with a black ribbon around them.

"Are you almost done?" Grim lazily drawled. He was sprawled on the bed, his pudgy stomach on display.

"Already am." She answered.

"Good, cause your phone was ringing." He rolled to his left, revealing the girl's phone. Picking it up and opening it to her messages, the sender read 'Braincell 1'

'Yo Val, you and Grim have to walk here by yourselves. Me and chicken boy can't pick you up cause we have an emergency and it requires all dorm members cooperation.'

She texted back

'k'

Picking up her little gremlin, strolled out and headed downstairs.

"Where Ace and Deuce?" questioned Grim.

"They have an emergency which required all dorm members." She answered, walking out of the house.

"Huh, probably something related to food." The cat proclaimed, as he climbed up to her shoulders and draped himself there.

She merely hummed.

They arrived in mirror hall. As she stepped in, Valerie almost got knocked down by a rushing students.

"S-sorry, miss Valerie." He apologized before running again.

Glancing at each other, the Ramshackle duo continued their journey, all the while watching students tripping over their feet looking for something. It wasn't long before they spotted a familiar redhead and bluette by the bushes.

"Damn it, where are they? They couldn't gotten that far." Ace muttered.

"Maybe we should try a different spot." Suggested Deuce.

"Guys?" A feminine voice snapped them out and turned around.

Their eyes bulged out when they saw her ears. A palpable silence overtook them, until...

"Pffftt-"

All eyes turned to Ace as he covered his mouth with right arm, and shaking. Finally he blew up.

"HAHAHAAHA! Oh great seven this hilarious! You're an actual rabbit!" He kept on laughing. Deuce had small blush on his face when he stared at her, she looked like a porcelain doll.

"You know very well I hate those." Valerie monotonous voice rang out. A displeased look covered her face from being compared to an item she hated the most.

Crap, he thought out loud.

"I-I-I'm so sorry!" Deuce bowed, which made Ace laughed louder.

"Its fine." She huffed. "Anyway, what happened? What's the emergency?"

Ace shut up and Deuce tentatively bit his lower lip.

"Its the hedgehogs, they broke out in their cages again. The unbirthday party will start soon and no one has found them yet." The peacock-eyed boy answered.

"Riddle almost lost control when he found out, and its not getting any better." The cherry-eyed boy added.

"I could help." The girl offered. "My ears are practically antennas, and they've been a great help in dealing with Savanaclaw, I think I can find the hedgehogs in no time."

They seem to contemplate her words, before nodding to each other.

"Alright, Princess, we're counting on you." Ace grinned.

The girl gave a mock salute before taking Grim off her and dropping him on Ace. She sprinted away, she picked a small clearing.

Valerie crouched down and closed her eyes. She blocked out the noise surrounding her, focusing on the chitter and footsteps of the hedgehogs. Breathing softly she waited for even the faintest noise.

Instantly her ears twitched, perking a bit she turned to the left. Sprinting off she found a red and blue hedgehogs under a tree. Valerie slowly made her towards them and crouch to their height.

"Hi." She gently called out. Slowly reaching her hand out, it sniffed it before coming near and rubbing itself on it.

"You guys are bunch escape artist huh?" She mused, delicately picking it up. Her ears perked up, catching a faint conversation. Following till she found herself with two mobs.

"M-miss Valerie!" They exclaimed in surprised, especially to her ears.

"Here." She placed them on their hands.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Now if you excuse me, I got more to find."

She did this a few more times: She would listen to the hedgehogs, find them and give them to a nearby Heartslyabul student. So far she found at least 20 or so for half an hour.

Valerie huffed and fanned herself using her shirt, she having a particularly hard time in finding these guys. The tiny things were master on invasion and giving her a good challenge. Inhaling she concentrated once more, walking silently as she did in hopes to hear the better.

Finally, soft rustling in the bushes caught her attention. Nimbly making her way to the source, she pulled it back to to find a red, green and orange hedgehogs staring up at her.

"C'mere." She scooped them up and made her way to the nearest students, whose hair perfectly matched the hedgehogs she's carrying.

They blinked at the sight before them, heat rising to their cheeks at the adorable sight.

"V-Valerie." Riddle stuttered, clearly didn't expect this.

"Yeah, hi." She sheepishly grinned.

"This is an interesting turn of events?" Commented Trey, fixing his gaze on her ears.

"Vally, you look so cute!" The strawberry blonde gushed, taking out his phone and snapping pictures of the girl.

"Haha, thank you Cater." She did cute little poses. Holding the hedgehogs up to her face.

"#Cutie! #Rabbitears #foundthehedgehogs #livinguptothename." He quickly uploaded it.

Riddle quickly regained his composure and took the hedgehogs out of her hands.

"Thank you, Valerie now we can resume the unbirthday party."

"So." Deuce started. "What happened to you?"

After placing the hedgehogs in their cages, everyone was seated on the tables and enjoying the party, and were quite curious of her ears.

The girl summarized on what happened yesterday and this morning. Ace snickered at the end of her explanation.

"Jeez, Val, your a total disaster magnet." He ran his finger on her ears.

"It gets worse when I'm with you guys." She teased.

"Your so mean, Princess!" Ace dramatically placed his hand over his heart, 'hurt' by her words.

"But you look so cute! Look how much likes your photo is getting." The leaf-green eyed male showed her his phone, which was gradually getting likes.

"They don't make you uncomfortable, do they?" Trey asked, as he handed her another strawberry tart. Which she gratefully accepted.

"Besides having more sensitive hearing, I'm good" She replied. She moved her hands up, away from Grim's greedy outstretched paws. Trey handed him a blueberry cheesecake.

"This transformation has been a great help, especially when dealing with Savanaclaw. You should have seen the amount of students I sent in the infirmary." She added with a giggle.

"There was even a dragon there that wanted to challenge her. But he got dragged off." Grim chimed in, taking large bite of his cheesecake.

"A dragon?"

"He brushed off my abilities because of the potion." Just remembering his words gave her a headache.

Ugh, if mom was in Cloud Valley she would have made every man there submit to her.

"But in the end, you still sustain injuries." Riddle interjected, examining her bandaged arm. He sipped his tea as the girl's face flushed.

"T-that's a mistake in my part. I got ahead of myself, I would have still beaten Leona if I had been more aware of my surroundings." Frustration crinkled her eyes, with those ears of hers should would have heard him and at least give him a black eye.

Mom would have scold her for her carelessness.

"Aww, don't make that face Vally; let's just enjoy the party." Cater coaxed bring her and Grim for a selfie, which was soon joined by Ace, Deuce and Trey who grabbed Riddle with him.

"Say cheese!"

________________

"Miss her ears already." Deuce mumbled, as he stared at the girl.

As promised, Crewel gave her the antidote and she reverted back to her normal self. Although, some were beginning to miss her ears.

They just looked so cute on her.

It was P.E and they were doing some warm up stretches. Valerie was just doing splits when a shadow fell over her.

"Kemonohito! Re-match now!"

This guy...

"We're in class. Can we do this later?" She reasoned.

His face twisted in anger, before a whistle blew.

"Alright! I prepared an obstacle course! Whoever reaches the finish line first in the shortest amount of time will receive a plus points!"

One by one the boys took the course, Vargas always saved Valerie for last cause he knows that she might destroy everything.

Vargas focused his gaze on Valerie.

"Kemonohito you're up!"

As she took her position, she examined the field. High walls, mannequins, vaults and beams, perfect for her rabbit self, but it wasn't there anymore. She shook her head, she trained for years, she didn't need it.

The whistle blew

She blurred through the field. Destroying the mannequins and jumping over the high walls with ease. By the time she finished it, she left a path of destruction.

"2:05s! The fastest one yet! Fantastic job, but next time don't destroy everything. Seriously I just got this raise." The man grumbled more as he scribbled on his clipboard.

Meanwhile, her idiot trio stared at her, shock written on their faces. When she walked up to them, they bombarded her with questions.

"How did you do that!?"

"Can you teach me!

"I thought you weren't a rabbit anymore."

All she could do was shrug.

"Maybe I got the leftover DNA. But whatever the case is, I love it."

She had a wide smile on their face, oh this was going to be good.

A/N: Cloud Valley belongs to @phoenix-manga

@poisonapplecakes1312

[h-worksrambles]

Upon completing the Monkey Island series

After the announcement of Return to Monkey Island, I decided to go back and finish my playthrough of LucasArts’ classic series to get caught up before the new game comes out (yeah I know they won’t all tie into Return but still, I wanted to be thorough). So now that I’ve finished them all, here’s a very brief rundown on my thoughts on all the games in the series. Be warned, I will touch on spoilers for all the games.

The Secret of Monkey Island

  The first game in the series holds up remarkably well. It plays out like a loving tribute to this genre of swashbuckling adventure, balanced out with a casual but genuinely funny sense of humour. Guybrush, Elaine and LeChuck are all fun and likable, as are many of the side characters you bump into. The puzzles are also surprisingly good. It plays with its own mechanics in some surprisingly interesting ways without being too frustrating. I do think the first half on Mêlée Island is a little tighter than the second half on Monkey Island, where things get a little too vague and cryptic. But I never found myself particularly bored or frustrated. I feel like I have less to say than I should but that’s because it really does speak for itself. This game is a classic for a reason and I highly recommend it. I like it more and more on each revisit.

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge

  Yeah, I’m gonna sound like a cliche but here we go. As far as I’m concerned, Monkey Island 2 is the best game in the series. The story follows on from the original in a really effective yet surprisingly sombre way. Sure, the humour is still as razor sharp as ever (maybe even more than the first game) but still. It’s sad to see Guybrush as a washout, seeing him and Elaine broken up on bad terms. The ghosts and villains are still funny, but also more threatening. The jokes are more cynical, the atmosphere creepier and the characters taken in a new direction, and I love it all. This culminates in a legendary mind screw of an ending that completely recontextualises the whole series. And yes, I am that pretentious hack that thinks this ending is brilliant and interprets the rest of the series in the light of this twist, sequels included.

  It is a bit of a walk back from the first game in terms of puzzles though. As much as I love having a larger game world with more islands to explore, the increase in scope leads to a somewhat questionable set of puzzles. Lots of combination puzzles and obscure solutions (that monkey wrench...shudder). Still, it has its fair share of solid brain teasers, particularly the final showdown. Still, I love this game, and I can’t wait to see how Return will build on it.

The Curse of Monkey Island

  I feel like, because I spoke so highly of 1 and 2, there’s this assumption that I’m going to like the post Ron Gilbert games, including this one, less. The series changing hands has regrettably led to a divide in the fandom. Fortunately, I’m happy to say that I still really like The Curse of Monkey Island.   The graphical upgrade here is terrific. I adore how the series takes on the aesthetic of a living cartoon. It may look a little murky on modern day monitors, but I’d still say it stands out as the best looking game in the series. The addition of voice acting is a delight. Dominic Armato basically is Guybrush to me at this point. The humour is still intact, though I’d say it’s somewhat lighter than the last game. It’s less of the devilish humour of the second game where everyone is an awful person (Guybrush included) and more of the casual quirkiness of the first game. And a lot of the jokes and side characters land. Though that does lead me to my only real gripe with Curse’s writing. I get that 2′s ending was controversial, but I feel this game played things far too safe. Curse feels like it’s constantly trying to backspace and be more like the first game again, only addressing 2 when it absolutely needs to. Guybrush and Elaine are just...back together again with no explanation of how they resolved what a crappy boyfriend he was before. The last game’s reveals are all quietly swept under the rug or explained away (rather unsatisfactorally). You can still interpret this game was being part of a child’s imagination like the last two games if you look hard enough. But, combined with the already rushed final act that apparently had a ton of stuff cut for time, it leads to a degree of missed potential.    Fortunately, once you divorce it from 2′s context, it’s still a very good time. The gorgeous world is a delight to explore, even if I miss the immersion of having a larger number of good sized islands (again, the structure very much feels like it’s going back to 1). And again, I do think the series still hasn’t quite captured the slick, creative puzzle design of the first game since. Obtuse combination puzzles are the name of the game here, and there’s little more to the puzzles outside of trial and error item use. I dunno, I miss swapping drinks between flasks, following a guy through a maze, making nice with a talking compass to navigate a cave. Still, I was willing to forgive 2 its occasionally wonky puzzle design for its art and writing, and I can do the same here.

The Curse of Monkey Island is caught in an odd place for being the transition point away from the original intent of the series. Which is what makes the fact that it’s so good such a relief. It still looks and sounds incredible, the comedy is on point and the environments a delight to explore. Its puzzles can feel a little iffy at times, and it sometimes feels like its trying a little too hard to be like the first game, and only the first game, but I still really enjoyed the experience.

Escape from Monkey Island

  Ok, I have a little less to say about this one because, I’ll be real with you. This is the only one I didn’t finish. I just resorted to a longplay. I don’t think I’m being very original in saying that I like Escape from Monkey Island the least out of the series. But I want to give it credit for the things I like.   The story and writing is...OK. This game features the writers and creative team behind Sam & Max Hit the Road, a game I really love. And with that, comes a slightly more over the top, cartoony tone. Unfortunately, while it’s still got some great gags, it doesn’t quite hit the level of insane dark wit of Sam & Max, but still feels a little too off from the previous game’s comedic tone, putting it in an awkward middle ground. But I do like some of the situations it places the characters in. It’s fun to see Guybrush and Elaine interacting as a couple since Elaine spent nearly all of the last game as an inanimate gold statue. I like how it revisits plot threads and characters from Mêlée Island, (even though it contributes to the feeling that the franchise is still trying really hard to be ‘just like the first game again’). The concept of corporate takeovers across the island actually ties back to the infamous ‘theme park’ theory from 2 surprisingly well, which I like at the very least. There’s some good stuff to be found here. Though with some of the strange way it revisits old plot threads, and the bizarre finale, Escape is a fun enough ride that ultimately kind of jumps the shark.

But you know what? The writing honestly isn’t the problem. Nor is it the 3D graphics (which, while primitive and a step down from Curse, are honestly not that bad for the time). But, God, this game is a slog to play. You know what I’m gonna say. Screw the tank controls. Screw Monkey Kombat. Screw the game breaking bugs that forced me to restart multiple times before I gave up. Say what you will about the divisive visual changes in the first two entries’ remasters. This game needed a Special Edition to clean up its issues. Just releasing it unchanged on Steam and GOG without tweaks to help it play nice with modern systems did this game no favours.

  Escape isn’t some iredeemable disaster. It’s a fine enough point and click. But on the writing level it isn’t quite up there with the rest, and on a gameplay level it’s notably flawed. 

Tales of Monkey Island

  Tales of Monkey Island is a genuinely enjoyable revival of the series though it isn’t without its flaws. On a story level this is the most I’ve enjoyed the plot of any of these games since 2. The Pox of LeChuck is a fun and compelling plot mechanic that allows for some really interesting character work. I like seeing Guybrush struggling to shake off the curse, Elaine having a really sweet relationship with him while still taking charge in the action scenes and (especially) LeChuck forming an uneasy truce with Guybrush and Elaine. I personallly love viewing LeChuck under the lens of 2′s twist because I love the implications that Guybrush has built up his own brother in his head as this bullying, evil monster, reimagining their petty squabbles as epic duels across on the sea. So seeing a ‘what if’ scenario of how he and Guybrush could actually be good friends is really interesting in that context, even if it’s just an act. In general, LeChuck gets a great showing here. After he got side lined as a villain in Escape, this game almost fools you into thinking LeChuck will be supplanted by a villain again by the Marquis de Singe, but when he takes centre stage once again as the Big Bad, he gives a heck of show in probably the best final showdown in the series. The comedy’s pretty solid too. The humour is certainly different from the other games, moreso resembling the zany quippiness of Telltale’s Sam & Max games. Fortunately, I like those games a great deal so that’s no great loss in my book, though I can see the less casual humour and more supernatural tone being offputting for fans. Between the more overtly supernatural setup and character shakeups, I’m again tempted to compare it to Telltale’s Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, a title I have already spoken about at length. Much like that game, it sort of feels like...very high quality fanfiction, one that isn’t afraid to get a little out there with the source material.

It’s not all good news though. Tales is at its best when it’s doing fun and interesting stuff wth its lead cast or returning characters. But the new additions are a mixed bag. I like Morgan Le Flay. She’s a fun character with a pretty good arc and an enjoyable developing friendship with Guybrush. And Winslow is absolutey too pure for this world. But the Marquis De Singe never feels like a very funny or threatening villain. And as happy as I was to see Stan and Murray return, most of the one off characters felt like misses. There’s a lot here that feels like filler, with the third episode being the weakest in my opinion, dragging its feet with a rather over the top premise and weak jokes while we wait for the plot to resume. Fortunately, it ends on its best two episodes, bringing together threads from both the pre and post-Gilbert games to make a really fun finale. The Voodoo Lady twist especially has some really cool implications...that we never really got to see followed up on. Is Monkey Island just doomed to constantly have unresolved twist heavy cliffhangers?

  The puzzles are honestly quite good too. It delivers a lot of the classic Monkey Island staples, but in bite sized episodic chunks. Mazes, recipes, item combination, travelling across island maps and sea charts. The works. Still, I was pleasantly surprised how much of the challenges were genuinely fun, right from the first episode, even for someone as notoriously bad at puzzles as myself. Dare I say, I liked the puzzles here overall more than in 2 or Curse. Still, the curse of Telltale’s limited production and short development times rears its ugly head. The art style is quite nice but the grapics are definitely pretty dated even for 2009 and the asset reuse can get REALLY glaring. 

  Tales is imperfect, to be sure, but it does a solid job bringing back the franchise for (so it seemed at the time) one last hurrah. It’s a genuinely interesting, funny and surprisingly dramatic story that gives these much loved characters a chance to shine. If you tapped out of the later Monkey Island games, or if you’re only more familliar with Telltale’s later, more choice driven titles, I’d say give this one a shot.

...And that’s all of them. Even as someone relatively new to the point and click adventure genre, these games were a delight to go through. and if you’re curious about my ranking...

1. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge 2. Secret of Monkey Island 3. Curse of Monley Island 4. Tales of Monkey Island (I feel Tales and Curse could switch on any given day) 5. Escape from Monkey Island

By the end of this year, Return to Monkey Island will be in our hands, and we still don’t know much about it. Will it be an interquel? An alternate timeline? How much will it take from Curse onwards? How much will it address 2′s ending? It all remains to be seen. But I for one, can’t wait to find out. Because if these five games are any indicator of the quality we can expect, there’ll be a lot to look forward to. LucasArts, you game design like a dairy fighter! How appropriate. You write like a cow.

[chaosvanquished]

Every Time A Bell Rings

Pairing: Gobblepot

Rating: short and very tame

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except for the terrible prose. Not beta read so there might be grammar errors galore, I’m just an English major.

Beware: this is utter Christmas crack, set during Oswald’s time as mayor or at least his campaign. Their voices and address are OOC just to make it more fun and a bit romantic, too. Also, it got a bit away from me in the second half I think ? Also, awful title.

A/N: I wrote this already in one frantic go at the start of December, wanted to re-work it, didn’t have time, ran late to post it for Christmas, got fed up with it, and decided to just throw it out there. Happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, have a good Kwanzaa celebration, happy holidays to you all, folks !

This fills the bingo field for Lost Angel Wings. I had so many ideas for fields...

People were rushing to and fro to his left and right. So much for a peaceful season full of contemplation and slowing down for the holidays. Still, it was merely a Christmas skit for Gotham’s big Christmas fundraiser. Why he had to be here to keep an eye on proceedings, Jim had no idea. Logically he knew that he was here because he lost a game of Rock Paper Scissors against Harvey but why police presence was needed at all during a charity event eluded him. As if the criminals of Gotham were only waiting to crash a fundraiser instead of breaking and entering the vacant houses of the rich people present at the town hall. Terrorist attacks during the elementary school choir’s performance. Of course it also couldn’t be any officer in plain clothes but it had to be a detective. The police making an appearance during social events to win favours or something.

Now that he was already here he could at least look around and snatch some of the backstage snacks laid out for the actors and other participants who came from costume and makeup completely famished. They were simple but more to Jim’s taste than the ridiculous hors d’oeuvre usually served at such events. Slowly the backstage area emptied as the next group went on stage. He sneakily inched towards the snack table. Somewhere behind a partition someone was rummaging around.

“Has someone per chance seen my wings?”

“What?” Jim turned around to find an annoyed Cobblepot coming around the partition. Apparently criminals had found their way into this fundraiser event after all.

The man stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jim standing there with a sandwich halfway to his mouth. He did not exactly look dressed for villainous success. Frankly, he looked downright ridiculous. Cobblepot was draped in what looked like a black sheet with purple ornaments held tight at the waist with some kind of cummerbund and a vest on top. Apparently he was aware of his less than sleek get up as well if the way he tried to cover as much as possible of his outfit by crossing his arms over his chest was any indication.

“Hello Detective Gordon.”

“Uh, did you say something back before?” Jim asked. He could not stop staring at the outfit disaster.

Cobblepot’s expression switched from embarrassed to judging due to Jim’s lack of a civil reply.

“There is no need to stare, Detective. I assure you this is the better option. Originally they wanted to dress me in a white gown,” he simply answered. “I was convinced that it would make a good impression on people if I took a small role in one of the plays last minute. And I need all the support I can get.”

Jim nodded: “Of course. And…especially the purple fur trimming is a nice touch.” (Cobblepot rolled his eyes) “Seems like you and me are here for the same reasons. I was sent to represent the GCPD.”

Had he said wings? God, whoever cast Cobblepot as an angel must have lost his mind. At least he was small, polite to some degree, had a charming if slightly maniac smile, and could enact some serious wrath Jim supposed.

At his words the other man looked relieved. In Cobblepot’s mind they were probably in the same boat now. They were often in the same boat to be honest, what with their little deal and regular cooperation. And if Jim wanted to be even more honest, Christmas being the time of contemplation and all, his partner in crime often tried too hard to be inviting but was ultimately engaging and pleasant company with a ready smile for him. That he was always dressed to the nines (if insanely flamboyant) and graceful did not hurt their meetups in the least either.

“Then, Jim, if you’re here on business you could look for my wings. I’m not sure that my appearance as a heavenly herald” (at this he raised his eyebrows) “without a pair of wings has the same flair. I’ll look over there and you could check here?”

Jim. The Christmas spirit must have struck Cobblepot as well it seemed. Jim just nodded and turned around to look in the area behind the food and drinks table. A lot of props were scattered around. And there, on a stool, lay a pair of wings. They were the kind you would wear like a backpack and would find in a cheap costume store with wide white rubber bands. Someone had gone to great pains to spray paint the top of the wings with silver glitter as well. While he was not the kind of guy who ever wondered or even realized whether some piece of clothing would clash with another he would need to be blind not to see that the wings will look terrible on the flashy black and purple robe. The white gown may have been an insult on Cobblepot but he wondered who had come up with the alternate design which also didn’t seem to go terribly well with, well, anything.

Jim steered his steps back to the middle of the room.

“I have found them,” he called out.

Cobblepot returned with a “Good” and took the wings from him. He then struggled rather unsuccessfully with them.

“Let me,” Jim said and took them back, holding the bands like one would hold a coat for someone to slip their arms into the sleeves.

Cobblepot hesitated for a moment before he put one arm through one loop and then the other. Jim adjusted the wings. He had been right, the whole ensemble looked awful but at least someone had bothered to fit the wing’s straps to his narrow shoulders so they wouldn’t constantly slip down. The man turned around to face him and for a moment Jim’s breath caught.

Oswald was slightly odd-looking and plenty beautiful just like his mother had been with her large startled eyes. He was aware that he was staring and busied himself by also adjusting the straps in the front. The silence became pronounced so Jim decided to just cut his losses. “Done. You’re good to go, Oswald,” was the only thing he could come up with though.

Oswald’s eyes snapped up and God, Jim still had his hands resting on his labels. At least he wasn’t awkwardly gripping his shoulders or pressing them against his chest but still. Any moment Jim will remove his hands, stick them in his pockets and take one or three steps back. Any moment. The moment just…hadn’t come yet. And now Oswald started to smile in his nervous, unsure way covered up by bravado that he seemed so often to sport in Jim’s company when they did not talk shop. He was lovely, questionable nightmare-coloured toga, cheap wings and all, and Jim had to lean in. This was ridiculous, he was ridiculous. Still, he leaned in further.

Really, it was just common sense that they would hear steps any second and draw apart. Except that no one was stumbling in to conveniently break them up or get an eyeful to report to the newspaper. All these romantic descriptions of breath mingling were a disappointment, too, as Oswald apparently had stopped breathing altogether. He just stared at him which was kind of unsettling so Jim closed his own eyes, hoping he would catch the hint. Oswald’s hands came up to settle on his shoulder blades and he took this as a sign to lean down just this bit further. When his lower lip touched Oswald’s lips lightly he stopped short, savouring the pinpoint contact in a very public backstage area of a corny Christmas fundraiser event. Captain Barnes was there, Bruce was there, Selina had probably sneaked in in a dazzling dress. Whatever. This had gotten too important too long ago. Just when he wanted to move his lips and end this anticipation in the air the long expected steps came towards the back room. Jim reared back with his lips burning from the barely there touch. Moments ago he would have been happy to have a stranger dissuade the weird atmosphere but now he was dissatisfied in the most literal sense.

It was frustrating to see how fast Oswald was able to collect himself and move in the direction of the stage. He turned his head around to address Jim.

“I’ll see you later on stage.”

“I’ll see you later for a drink,” Jim replied. Oswald’s ears burned a delightful shade when he hurried towards the crowd.

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 3x17 Enemies

aka bad break-ups

Welcome to this dailyish text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and rant about it in 10-3k words. What you can expect: long run-on sentences and disjointed observations, often focused on one tiny detail about the episode. What you shouldn’t be expecting: actual reviews that make sense.

And today’s episode finally brings Buffy and Faith’s relationship to a breaking point, in all of its subtextual glory. Meanwhile, I kept rewinding as I tried remembering where the layers of deception started, and the “they don’t know that we know that she doesn’t know that we know” games ended.

And I guess the honest answer is that I still don’t know. The episode doesn’t really end with a flashback answering at what point did the characters realize that something was off… But that’s also part of the fun, as one tries to look for the small signs they could’ve noted as well.

First of all, let’s just all acknowledge this delightful outfit:

We’re entering the stage of truly iconic Willow looks, folks.

Anywho, back to the Fath/Buffy/Angel mind games

Not to toot my own horn and say I told you so (like some characters), but by the end of the episode, I once again got stuck on the deliberate parallel drawn between Angel and Faith as Buffy’s love interests. It’s no coincidence that Buffy asks for a break between her and Angel just when her relationship with Faith has completely fallen apart.

During this rewatch I definitely got the impression that Buffy’s decision there was more of a result of where the whole thing with Faith left her emotionally, than Angel pretending to be bad for the episode. His betrayal was fake and pre-agreed upon. Faith’s was real and devastating.

I guess there’s also a weird BDSM theme here with the comments they make around the chains… So if we roll with that, the comparison is that Buffy and Angel had their safe words there. With Faith… not so much.

To drive the point home that Buffy’s conflict here is with Faith, and this is all about that broken trust, let’s also look at the scene between her and Willow, where she’s talking about seeing Faith and Angel together the night before.

Willow: No way. I know what you're thinking and no way! Buffy: You're right. Faith would never do that. Willow: Faith would totally do that.

We again see here Willow’s clear dislike of Faith, which I find especially fun as we also have Xander voicing some of his classic anti-Angel sentiments in the same episode. I do hope that I’ll have the energy to delve a bit more into that a few episodes from now.

But more importantly, look at Buffy’s line. Her response to the idea of Angel and Faith getting it on isn’t that Angel wouldn’t do that. (Remember, Angel, her boyfriend, the one who’d be cheating on her?)

It’s Faith wouldn’t do that. Faith wouldn’t do that to her.

The conclusion one can draw from that is that either she doesn’t trust Angel to begin with, or that her trust and faith in… well, Faith, is much more important to her right now. Personally? I’m leaning towards the latter.

There’s once again a lot of innuendos as well. (That we’re calling subtext for some reason, even though the sexual and romantic undertones are essentially textual at this point…) Like after Buffy and Angel come out of the movie theater, all full of pent up sexual frustration, and Faith shows up to steal Buffy away literally saying “Don’t worry big guy, just keeping her warm for you”.

I’m…

Faith: *does or says something that defines her relationship with Buffy in an undeniably sexual / romantic way*

me:

And then when they meet up at the library afterwards, and Faith does her usual routine of calling Buffy “girlfriend”, and is all touchy with her… Buffy shies away from her touch, and the rest of the Scoobies note how chilly the atmosphere suddenly became.

All that is to say that while Angel plays a prominent role in how this episode unfolds, and the parallel raised between him and Faith aren’t just serving the theme of Buffy’s relationships with them, but both of their characters as well… The real conflict itself plays out between Buffy and Faith, with all of its subtextual and romantic undertones that the show is once again leaning into.

It’s a break-up. It’s Buffy and Faith breaking up. That’s what’s happening here.

Something that I was struggling with however, is pinpointing where Buffy or even Angel and Giles started suspecting that there was something else going on with Faith. When Faith goes to Angel first, I was still unsure on where he was coming from, so I kept looking for signs that he was already reading her intentions. In retrospect though, I assume that Angel’s reactions there were actually genuine, despite Faith laying it on all pretty thick.

On the other hand, she also appeared with bloody hands after killing sympathetic demon guy who tried to help against the Mayor. So that was probably a dead giveaway once Buffy and Angel started putting two and two together.

With Buffy herself, there’s a pretty great little detail that happens when she and Faith discover dead demon guy in his apartment. (Which I wish I noticed myself, but was pointed out to me by someone else.)

Faith reaches into the other room for the light switch, not even looking, and Buffy sees her doing it. She completely gives away herself and the fact that she was in this apartment before, and the show smartly doesn’t draw our attention to it.

So when Buffy afterwards comments about how the way the demon guy was killed was ‘somebody’s idea of a party’, I couldn’t help wondering if that was a pointed jab at Faith. To get a reaction out of her and confirm whether or not she was involved.

Still, I remained unsure as we actually get the scene between Buffy and Willow after this happens. It’s also implied that Buffy hasn’t actually talked to Angel about what she saw between him and Faith the other night at that point, so they haven’t yet had the chance to cook up their Faith reveal plan.

On the other hand, she’s talking to Willow here, and we find out later that Buffy, Angel and Giles were all keeping their suspicions and the plan a secret from the rest of the Scoobies. So she wouldn’t have told that Willow quite yet either way.

Willow also comments about Buffy being “on edge”, which once again points to her probably thinking about Faith going rogue already here.

I do believe that Buffy’s “Faith wouldn’t do that” line is genuine though, even in that case. Buffy still wants to believe in Faith, even if they’re preparing for the worst.

So when Angel and Faith show up in her room, part of her must be devastated as the confirmation of Faith’s betrayal sinks in. As well as just being on edge, knowing what’s coming.

And what’s coming is a whole lot of classic posturing and sexual innuendo from Faith’s part, as she’s tempting Buffy with making out with Angel in front of her just to spite her (we already established which of their betrayals sting for Buffy more…), and being very up-close and personal with a supposedly chained up Buffy.

There’s a lot more going on in this scene of course, with Faith somewhat sarcastically rambling about her horrible childhood, and Buffy delivering some pointed jabs about being better than Faith, or Faith only being able to turn Angel to her side with a magic. We once again see proof of just how low and fragile Faith’s self-esteem actually is, and how easy it is to hurt her, despite what she claims.

I guess Faith’s speech about how she constantly felt inferior to Buffy is especially worth repeating:

Faith: You know, I come to Sunnydale. I'm the Slayer. I do my job kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about everywhere I go? Buffy. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. And who's everybody thank? Buffy. Buffy: It's not my fault. Faith: Everybody always asks, why can't you be more like Buffy? But did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me? Angel: I know I didn't. Faith: You get the Watcher. You get the mom. You get the little Scooby gang. What do I get? Jack squat. This is supposed to be my town!

It’s one of those lines, where you’re not exactly sure how much the character actually believes of what they’re saying. Faith putting on Buffy the fact that she was unable to connect especially rings false, when you think about just how hard Buffy worked to have that connection with Faith.

But there’s also no denying in that Faith feels like the world let her down. And that includes Buffy. Because despite Buffy’s best efforts, she could never take Faith’s side unconditionally. She could never be just like her.

Buffy doesn’t have the luxury of losing herself in someone else, or to choose them over her responsibilities. (Well, I guess we’ll have to re-examine that in a few seasons from now though…) She needed Faith to meet her halfway, but Faith was already too far gone to turn around for that.

But hey, at least Faith’s got a new apartment out of the deal as of last episode. Evil does take MasterCard I guess.

[huangjuuns-blog]

unrequited - high school!au - reader, renjun & jaemin

note; Okay so originally this was supposed to be longer and have more of a plot but as I was writing this I was worried it was becoming a little boring and I personally find it difficult to write long pieces for highschool aus!! if you want, I may do a part two?? I didn’t want to initially and instead wanted a longer one shot but oh well! I just wanted to have something posted for you all!! I hope you enjoy and REQUESTS ARE OPEN!  

- Where you are best friends with Renjun but have had a long time crush on Jaemin. With your final year of high school approaching quickly, new feelings emerge and some uncertainties arise. (not a great summary I tried) -

warnings; none! ❀

word count; 4.7k

✮ masterlist ✮

| YOUR POV |

You definitely were not the romantic type. You didn’t believe in love at first sight and you definitely didn’t believe in falling in love in highschool. How could anyone meet their soulmate in highschool? There was nothing pleasant or romantic about it. You also didn't expect to end up having a profound infatuation for the carefree, smiley boy whom everyone adored. You would pretend to pay no attention whatsoever to him and for no valid reason, he annoyed you. Maybe it was because you had just the tiniest crush on him and didn't want to admit it to yourself so you felt the need to conjure up some reason to dislike him so that your tiny crush wouldn’t spiral into anything more than that - a simple, harmless crush.

You had entered your last term of high school and although college entrance exams were over and you had received your university offers, it had never been a busier time at school. You were the well liked, diligent student who was involved in literally everything. You were head of the debate team, played soccer, helped direct school plays and class president - a title you had held for three consecutive years. On the outside, you would appear to be a super serious, studious girl who spends most of her waking hours in the school library (yes, you did spend a lot of time in the library but that didn't matter), but you were a normal teenager who enjoyed wasting away weekends doing absolutely nothing with your friends.  

“Have you heard anything yet?” you asked your best friend, Renjun, in relation to college offers. 

A sigh escaped his pursed lips as he balanced his lunch tray on one arm while simultaneously pulling the chair out. You still had no idea why he did this. Why didn't he just place the tray down on the table first and then pull out the chair? You would never know why.

“Nope,” he smiled meekly. You reached over and friendly pushed his shoulder.

“You will! It’s completely normal to be waiting, besides your application was flawless,” you said, trying to create a positive atmosphere.

“I overheard Jeno got his acceptance letter this morning…” Renjun sighed, casting a sorrowful look down at the cafeteria’s table.

“So? Everyone gets theirs at different times,” you said.

“We applied to the same school…” Renjun trailed. He stabbed a piece of broccoli with a chopstick and sighed, looking sorry for himself.

“Hey, still be optimistic, okay? That doesn't mean you haven't gotten in!” you cheerfully reasoned. 

You passed your carton of chocolate milk over to your best friend as a kind gesture. Renjun smiled up at you, but his eyes looked sad and empty.

“Hey, do you want me to skip practice and we can go and get ice cream?” you offered.

“No, no. That's okay, don't skip. But I might come to practice with you if you don't mind. I could do with the fresh air and I don't really want to go to art class. Our teacher has been constantly asking for updates on my application,” Renjun mumbled.

“Of course you can! Come and cheer me on!” you laughed. 

Although the sports season was over and there were no games left, you still enjoyed spending your afternoons out on the field with your team mates. Even if it meant you had to share the pitch with the boys team.  And maybe, just maybe, it made your day just a tiny bit better seeing the captain of the boys soccer team. Although you'd never tell anyone, you couldn't help denying that you had a crush on quite possibly the most popular boy in school - Na Jaemin.

As you made your way out onto the school’s soccer pitch after a rather long day of classes, you glanced up to the stands to see your best friend sat up in the very back row. Renjun wore an oversized sweater that made him appear more thin, his earphones in his ears and a sketchpad perched on his lap. You tried to get his attention by waving frenetically. He didn't look up. You felt sorry for him and not in a patronising way. It upset you that you couldn't chatter excitedly about your college plans like most teenagers did when he had yet to hear if he had gotten accepted. It also hurt you that you couldn't sympathise with him or give him any helpful advice since you didn't know what the right thing to say or do was. You were just trying your best to be as positive as you could - for him.

“Well done today!” a cheerful, yet deep voice exclaimed, tapping your arm slightly. You would recognise that melodic voice in a heartbeat. You spun around immediately to face Jaemin.

“Thanks,” you mumbled. 

You glanced nervously down at the pitch, as if the grass and dirt were the most fascinating things ever. How could he look so effortlessly perfect after exercising and running around a soccer pitch for an hour when you were flushed and perspiring with a myriad of lose hairs falling out of your messy ponytail? It just wasn’t fair.

“Some of the guys team are heading out for ice cream and I was wondering if any of you would like to come?” Jaemin smiled.

“Oh, em… I’m really sorry, I actually have plans, thanks though,” you lied, clutching your right arm with your left hand nervously.

“Oh that’s okay! Next time, yeah?” Jaemin smiled. You didn't utter another word but nodded your head as if to say yes.

This wasn't the first time you had turned down invites to after school ice creams and bubble teas. You kept using the same excuse but you just felt far too nervous to be around Jaemin and you just couldn't bring yourself to go. I mean, he was only being friendly as captain of the boys team.

You met Renjun walking down the steps of the football stands on your way to the changing rooms. He pulled his earphones from his ears and smiled at you.

“You did great today Y/N!” he exclaimed, slinging his lanky arm around your petite shoulders. You smiled meekly up at your tall friend.

“I don’t feel like going to the library today,” you began. Renjun gasped, a mocking look of horror etched onto his face as he placed a hand on his chest.

“Are you feeling okay?” he joked, placing a hand on your forehead.

“Shut up,” you laughed, swotting his hand out of your face.

“So what do you wanna do instead?” Renjun asked. You thought for a moment before smirking at your friend.

“Bubble tea?” he laughed, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

You nodded your head profusely while Renjun chuckled softly at your behaviour.

After changing back into your school uniform you skipped out to the front of the school building to meet Renjun. He sat by the water fountain, scrolling aimlessly on his phone. He looked up to see you and smiled.

“I forgot my purse,” you bluntly said, waiting for your friend to complain about how you always did that and that he would soon be broke by funding your bubble tea addiction.

“It’s okay. It’s my treat,” he chirped. Instantly, you knew something was up with him. How come he went from being really down to being his cheerful self within the span of like, twenty minutes?

You spun around to face him.

“Huang Renjun tell me now, what is going on?!” you exclaimed, walking closer to him.

He smirked, raising his phone. You let a frustrated sigh escape from your lips.

“So?!”

“I may have just gotten an email. For an interview…” he began.

You squealed out in joy, jumping up and throwing your arms around his shoulders. There was no need for him to say anymore.

“Hey, hey. Don't get too happy now okay? I still haven't actually gotten in you know,” he reasoned.

“Yeah but, an interview? That’s pretty positive for an art school. Told you your application was amazing!” you gushed. 

Although it was Renjun’s future, you couldn't help but feel just as delighted as you had when you received your college acceptance letter.

“I suppose you’re right,” he smiled, looking down at the pavement happily.

“But I don’t want to get too excited. I have yet to hear from the schools,” he added.

You playfully linked your arm between his and looked up at him, a large grin plastered on your face.

-

Renjun went up to the counter in the all too familiar bubble tea shop which was located near both your houses, to order for both of you. He recited the same order as it had become a custom; the owner of the tiny shop knowing the order anyway but still taking it every time. Jasmine milk tea for Renjun and Lychee Green Tea for yourself.

You slid into the comfortable booth next to the window at the back of the shop where you both usually sat if no one else had taken it.

“Here you go!” Renjun exclaimed, carefully placing your drink in front of you. You thanked him before taking a sip. Before you could start a conversation with your best friend, you looked up to see someone you weren't expecting - Jaemin. Well, Jaemin and a few members of the soccer team.  You slid down your seat, hoping he wouldn't see you. Why would he even be here? As far as you were aware, he lived a good few neighbourhoods over. There were plenty of other bubble tea shops closer so why would he be here? Not that you really minded all that much …

“What is it?” Renjun chuckled. He followed your eyes, turning his head to see Jaemin with his friends.

“Oh right,” Renjun said with a nod of his head.

You continued to sink further into your seat, hoping Jaemin would order and leave as soon as possible, with you going unnoticed. Unfortunately, you stared a little too long as Jaemin locked eyes with you for a split second before you immediately looked away. Renjun tried making conversation with you so that it wouldn’t appear unusual - you practically hidden underneath the table.

“Hey,” Jaemin’s smooth voice said as he approached your table.

“Oh um hi,” you awkwardly stuttered. Why did you do this to yourself? You always felt as if you were embarrassing yourself in front of him. Jaemin acknowledged Renjun with a “hey” as well.

“You come here often? I never pass by here usually but I’d heard great things about this place,” Jaemin asked, making conversation.

“Y-yeah sometimes,” you stuttered. You felt Renjun’s foot gently kick yours. You shot a look of annoyance in his direction.

“Would you like to come here sometime, like after school or something?” Jaemin boldly asked, a bright smile on his face, radiating confidence. Renjun shot a confused look in both yours and Jaemin’s direction.

“Oh um yeah, sure sometime…” you stuttered.

 Renjun kicked your foot again. You discreetly kicked him back. Jaemin smiled one more time before turning around to walk away and collect his order.

“What was that for?!” you hissed at Renjun, leaning closer to him.

“You! You’re stuttering! You got all flustered! I was trying to be a good friend you know, like stop you from embarrassing yourself further,” he replied, stirring his boba with the straw. Renjun looked unusually distant.

“Well okay then. Thanks?” you mumbled, your eyes falling to the table. Renjun’s bad humour was starting to upset you a little bit but you brushed it off, putting it down to college application stress.

“I’m going to head home, I have committee stuff to do,” you stated, hopping up out of the booth.

“I’ll walk you home,” Renjun said, standing up.

“No, no you're all right Jun, I’ll see you tomorrow yeah?” you softly said. He smiled sheepishly, nodding his head and waving you goodbye.

Prom was only a mere three weeks away and the committee (including yourself) were quite stressed. One good thing that had happened in these last few weeks was that your life long crush began messaging you. Yourself and Jaemin texted most nights, even FaceTiming each other every now and then. You couldn't be any happier. You both had a lot in common and to you, everything about him was just so perfect.

After you came home from school one Friday, you got a call from Renjun. You had really only been talking to him at school these days and not as much outside school. You felt bad for your best friend and knew he was just very stressed out. You were in the middle of making some ramen for dinner since your parents were out when he called.

“Y/N… Can we please talk? Like right now, if you're free of course, I mean…” Renjun rambled.

You couldn't decipher what was wrong with him, but you were concerned.

“Of course Renjun. I’ll meet you out by our hill in ten,” you replied before hanging up.

You pulled a hoodie on over your head and slipped your feet into a pair of boots. You really didn't care how you looked. After locking the door behind you, you made your way through the city's night. It was only slightly drizzling, but quite cool. Ever since you and Renjun became friends when he moved to Seoul ten years ago, you had your spot in the park. The park marked the half way point between both of your houses, automatically becoming your spot. You could make out Renjun’s silhouette on the hill in the park. The park was technically closed since it was ten o’clock, but there was no high security so it was easy to sneak into. After seeing Renjun waiting there, you broke out into a run.

| RENJUN’S POV |

I hopped from foot to foot and blew some warm air onto the palms of my hands in an attempt to keep warm. It was usually cool for a May night but I was also only wearing a loose hoodie so I only had myself to blame for being cold. My heart was beating so quickly and loudly I was convinced I could hear it and so would Y/N once she arrived. At least my hands had stopped trembling. I just couldn’t believe it. Suddenly I saw a petite silhouette approaching in the distance. I waved my hand high in the night’s sky to attract Y/N’s attention. Once she saw me, she quickly ran up the hill. Her expression was mixed, one of confusion, worry and strangely, happiness. Her cheeks were a cute shade of pink and lose hairs had fallen out from her pony tail. She looked slightly out of breath too.

“Are you okay?” I chuckled, softly placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes yes! Now Jun! Tell me what’s up?!” She exclaimed.

“I really don’t know how to um, say this? But I got accepted...” I began. Y/N’s face lit up.

“Oh my god Jun that’s amazing! But why don’t you seem ecstatic?” She questioned.

“Well, you know the way I applied to college here in Seoul and also China?” I explained.

“Mhm, I know,” Y/N nodded her head.

“I thought I wouldn’t get into art school in China as the uni I applied to is very prestigious, well so is Seoul, but... I got accepted to both,” I elucidated. I bit down on my lip, waiting for Y/N to reply.

“What?! That’s just, amazing Renjun! Really, I’m so proud of you and so happy for you!” Y/N gushed, running towards me and pulling me into a tight embrace. 

Then it happened again, my heart beat sped up and my breathing stopped for a second. Y/N hugged me all the time but things just felt different now. I really like her but she doesn’t like me and it’s not fair to confess now that we’re finishing high school. Y/N slowly began to pull away. Since she was slightly shorter, I looked down into her eyes and smiled down at her. Before I could prevent myself, I bent down and closed my eyes. Y/N didn’t move and my lips were so close to hers that they brushed.

“Renjun, what’re you doing?” Y/N spoke, her voice slow and low. I opened my eyes and instantly pulled away. I bit my lip and shook my head.

“Nothing. Nothing, sorry.... I-“ I stuttered, shaking my head.

“It’s okay. Come on let’s get some boba and talk about your amazing news,” Y/N brightly announced, grabbing my left hand.

“It’s like half ten,” I bluntly said.

“So?! Let’s go,” she smiled, pullling my arm.

Did she think I was about to kiss her just because of my news and that it was just an accident. Does she know how I feel? Or is she embarrassed and want to forget about it? She didn’t kiss me back so why should I confess? It’s not fair on her either. She likes Jaemin and always has, besides, they’ve been getting closer lately. It wasn’t fair to tell her I’ve liked her for years or she’ll think our friendship wasn’t real or something.

-

| YOUR POV |

Your mind was spinning. All you could think about was Renjun and how you almost kissed. For some reason, you decided to brush it off. Did you like him? Have you ever had feelings for him? Not really and it wouldn’t have been fair to lead him on and kiss him back.

“I’m buying!” You stated upon entering your local boba cafe.

“No, let me please,” Renjun tried to argue.

“What?! No! We’re here to celebrate your news!” You reasoned, walking over to the counter and ordering your usual drinks. 

The cafe was silent with no other customers and the cashier looked immensely tired.

After paying, you carried both drinks over to the booth at the back of the store that yourself and Renjun always sat at if it was free.

After a few moments of unusual silence and sips from your bobas, you decided to ask the question that was on both of your minds.

“So, what’re you thinking? Here or China?” You asked, stirring your boba.

Renjun pursed his lips together and shook his head.

“Y/N, I really don’t know. I want to stay here of course and I would miss you way too much-“ he began, but you had to stop him there.

“Jun, yes of course I will miss you like crazy but you can’t let other people, myself included, be the reason for you not taking that option. You’ve gotta do what’s best for you and I know it must be so difficult to pick, but you have got to do what feels right,” you explained, leaning on your elbows so you’d be closer to him.

“I know, I know. I just, I never thought I’d get accepted to China,” he said, resting his chin on the palm of his right hand.

“You did because you have worked so hard and you’re an insanely talented artist! That’s why,” you stated matter-of-factly.

“Thanks. If, hypothetically, I choose to go back to China for school, we’ll try and visit each other yeah?” Renjun asked, his tone soft.

“Are you really asking me that?! Of course! I’d love to visit China anyways! Oh and we’ll FaceTime every day if not every two days! You’re not getting rid of me!” You laughed, picking up his hands.

Renjun smiled, suddenly feeling much better and less stressed. Once you both had finished, Renjun walked you home. Moments like this that were so normal in your ten years of friendship were suddenly precious to you. You needed to appreciate the weeks you had left with Renjun because you knew what decision he was going to make.

-

There was only one week left of school and prom was a mere five days away. You felt sick at the thought of it. Since you were too busy with organising the event, you hadn’t got a date so yourself and Renjun were going as friends.

After school on Monday, you went down to the gym hall to help with set up. As you were walking down the empty corridors of the school, two heavy cardboard boxes in your arms, you felt a tap on your shoulder which startled you slightly.

“Oh I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Jaemin’s soft voice apologised.

“You’re okay!” You laughed. 

Before he said anything else he had taken the boxes from your arms, ignoring you telling him to leave them and that you were okay.

“Is it okay to help or do you have to be on the committee?” Jaemin asked whilst both of you walked side by side to the gymnasium.

“At this stage, no one cares since we really do need all the help we can get,” you explained.

“Perfect!” He chirped with a bright smile.

You thanked him before pushing the double doors of the sports hall open to make way for him and the boxes. Upbeat pop songs were playing loudly from speakers and about ten students meandered their way through the large hall, frantically shouting orders at each other. You sighed. One more late night of dance duties.

Jaemin dropped the boxes on the shiny floor with a thud. When the song that was playing came to an end and the next one started he suddenly began to dance. You couldn’t believe this boy. He had no shame whatsoever, spinning around and freestyling, yelling every now and then. You hid your face in embarrassment. He picked up your small hands, twirling you around. Since he was stronger than you, you were unable to pull away.

“C’mon you’ve been too stressed lately! School dances are supposed to be fun!” He shouted, twirling you around some more.

“Jaemin stop,” you laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Fine,” he pouted.

“Um, Y/N? I know it’s really late and last minute and not as cute as I’d like it to be but I couldn’t think of the right moment-“ Jaemin rambled, speaking far too quickly for you to keep up with.

“Whoa whoa Jaemin, slow down I can’t make out what you’re saying,” you giggled.

“Will you, no sorry, would you like to, go to prom with me?” He finally blurted with a sheepish smile.

You couldn’t believe it. It was surreal. Jaemin has been your life long crush. Why did this feel like a dream?

“I’d love to, like you have no idea how much I’d love to, but I already told Renjun I’d go with him,” your explained. You’d never bail on your best friend for a guy.

Jaemin smirked before saying,” You see I knew you’d go with Renjun since you’re both practically joint to the hip. For months I presumed you two were actually dating. I asked Renjun this morning for his permission and he said that I should ask you.”

This was all incredulous. Your phone suddenly pinged, indicating you had a new message. You pulled your phone out of your backpack to see one new message from Renjun:

to; y/n from; junnie 17.20pm

so has he asked you yet????!!! ;)

to; junnie from; y/n 17.21pm

yes!!!! wait, are you really ok with it??

to; y/n from; junnie 17.21pm

of course y/n!!! now go back to jaemin! talk later!

You slid your phone back into your backpack before turning your attention back to Jaemin. Jaemin never looked so awkward before but you found it kind of adorable.

“Yes Jaemin, I’ll go to the dance with you,” you beamed.

“Really?!” He smiled, eyes lighting up.

He pulled you in for a quick hug. Both you and Jaemin spent the rest of the evening setting up the hall for the dance.

“Do you wanna grab some food? Or have you got other plans?” Jaemin teased, reminding you of the numerous times you rejected his invites to food and movies with the soccer teams.

“No, I think I’m free,” you replied, walking towards the doors of the hall. Since it was late, everyone else had already left.

“The school is kind of scary when there’s no one else here,” Jaemin admitted, eyes widening as he took in the eerie corridors in the pitch black. You just shrugged your shoulders since you were used to it.

You both agreed on pizza for dinner. Jaemin claimed he knew where the best pizza in Seoul was. You didn’t argue and followed him to the subway station closest your school. The subway ride was ten minutes long but you both spent it chatting away to each other.

“How come we never really spoke until recently?” Jaemin randomly asked once you arrived at your stop. You both walked out onto the platform, the warm underground air making you cough.

“I don’t know, well to be honest I thought you were kind of annoying, not in a bad way though,” you admitted. Jaemin stood still, feigning a hurt expression.

“You thought I was annoying? Why? What’d I do?” he asked.

“Well, nothing really. I suppose I was envious of how carefree and naturally happy you always appeared and because of that everyone always adored you. And because I always found you kind of cute too ...” You blurted. Jaemin grinned.

“So you think I’m cute huh?” He smiled.

“That’s all you took from that?” You laughed, surprised at Jaemin.

“Well that’s okay then,” he said, turning around towards the steps that led you both out onto one of the many busy streets of Seoul.

“Huh?” You questioned, confused.

Jaemin picked up your left hand as you both walked up the stairs of the subway station.

“I think you’re cute too,” He smiled, intertwining your fingers. Your eyes fell to your laced fingers and a small blush crept its way onto your cheeks.

This evening couldn’t get any more perfect in your mind. The night’s air was cool yet comfortable. Even though it was a Monday night there was still plenty of people flitting throughout the city’s busy streets. Most importantly, Na Jaemin was by your side telling some story in his soft and low voice that you adored so much.

The pizza must be good since the restaurant was packed with people. Fortunately, you both managed to grab a table. Since there was far too much choice, you decided to let Jaemin choose what you’d get since he went there a lot. As you both sat in the restaurant’s booth chatting happily to each other, your phone began buzzing.

“I’m really sorry, you don’t mind if I check? It could be my parents,” You began. Jaemin shook his head.

“No no it’s fine, go ahead!”

You scrunched your eyebrows together in confusion upon seeing multiple messages from Renjun. He was asking if he could meet you or call you and that he had some news. You quickly typed a message back to him explaining where you were and that you wouldn’t be back until later.

to; y/n from; junnie 19.03pm

that’s okay! sorry for interrupting you y/n. just give me a call when you get home if you’re not too tired. i have news, it’s just college stuff don’t worry!

to; junnie from; y/n 19.04pm

sorry jun :( yes i’ll call you tonight or come over if you need to talk

“Is everything okay?” Jaemin questioned, a slight look of worry etched onto his face.

“Of course!” You smiled.

You felt a little bit guilty for not being there for Renjun in that moment. He was always there for you. However, he reassured you that everything was okay. You tried telling your brain that Renjun was fine and that you’d talk later, but that you were with Jaemin now and needed to focus on that. Everything would be okay.

[krissucanwrite]

Persona 5 is  a beautiful game with a lot of flaws.

This review of Persona 5 might contain spoilers for the game.

Have you ever been excited for the release of a game? What if that game was the next in a series that contained your favourite game of all time? What if that game got released in Japan almost a year before you had your hands on it? Would your excitement for it die? Or would that just make you more excited?

This was Persona 5 for me.

Persona 4 Golden is my favourite game of all time. To me, it’s perfect in every way. The characters are lovable, the story is fantastic, the music is stellar, and the setting was quaint. It felt like I was returning to a familiar town that I’d been to before. The characters became best friends that I looked forward to seeing each day. There was a true sense of excitement every time a new day rolled over. “Who should I social link with today? What adventures are we going to have? Where will we end up?”

Needless to say, Persona 5 had some big shoes to fill.

First, I’ll talk about everything I love about the game. The visuals are STUNNING. Because they’re so stylised, I’m willing to be they’ll hold up really well in the future. The contrast of reds and blacks and the way colour is used is brilliant. All the in game models, save for one, look flawless. The only model I have an issue with is Ryuji’s, and it’s simply because his eyes look too far apart. One out of dozens is not bad though, and overall, this game has the strongest visuals of any game I’ve ever played.

The soundtrack is pretty solid. Most of the music fits the situations you’re in. My favourite track is the one that plays during exams. Such intense music is really fitting since, even in the world of Persona, exams are a huge deal. I also love “The Days When My Mother Was There” and “Layer Cake.” These three tracks in particular really stood out to me. 

Speaking of Palaces, one of them was really well done. Futabas Palace. It connected with me so hard that once I was done the Palace, I cried harder than I ever have. It’s all about helping a little girl who’s trapped in her own mind. She can’t escape. She’s blaming herself for the death of her mother, and she doesn’t understand how to deal with what she’s feeling. This palace was constructed flawlessly. Every aspect of it was perfect, from the fact she saw it as a tomb to the music to the desert atmosphere. It’s probably my favourite dungeon in all of Persona.

Most of the characters are great, and even though I don’t think they’re as deep as the cast from Persona 4, they still work for the story. I think that the main cast, for the most part, is weaker than the Persona 4 crew, but the side social links were executed better. For example, I really loved Hifumi, the shogi player, and her social link. It was memorable, Hifumi had a great design, and her personality was unique. I also loved Tae, the doctor, and her social link. Even Sojiro ended up having a fantastic social link, and his interactions with the player are great.

The game plays smoothly and I really love the ambush system. The animations for each party member are slightly different and unique, and I really like them all. They took the system in Persona 4, which worked really well, and polished it. Fighting was a joy. The only issue with game play I had was the camera not behaving in certain sections of some dungeons. The issues were few and far between though, and overall the game was a delight in terms of playability.

However, as with all things, there are some problems with Persona 5, and they really stand out to me.

First, let’s talk about the other Palaces. Even though Futaba had a fantastic Palace, I still think most of the dungeons in the game were boring, bland, forgettable, or downright frustrating. The first Palace you do is long, annoying, and visually uninteresting. Madarame’s dungeon is visually boring, and quite annoying because of the security lasers. It goes on like that, and I personally think that even though they hit a great high with Futabas palace and the themes they explore, it doesn’t quite hit the same high again. 

The worst offender, however, is Shido’s palace. This place takes the form of a ship, which is not terrible. It’s slightly boring inside, but not awful. What makes the dungeon awful is the mechanic they introduce. For almost every hallway you have to go through from one area to the next, you’ll pass by statues. These statues turn the party into rats.

No, I’m not joking.

When this happens, be prepared for 20 minutes of avoiding shadows (you can’t fight as a rat), going through air vents that aren’t really obviously placed for the player to find, and being annoyed because you know this isn’t the last time this mechanic is going to be used. There’s one section in particular where you literally leave one set of hallways only to enter ANOTHER set of hallways right after it that use this mechanic. It took me nearly an hour to get through this part. It’s terrible. There’s no other word for this mechanic, and I hate it.

Another huge problem I have with the game is that all the BIG TWISTS are telegraphed so easily. I remember being in that TV studio for the first time and having Akechi talk to me, talking about pancakes, and thinking “Huh, he must be in the metaverse too, so he’s gotta be the one behind the shutdowns.” Lo and behold, there he was. I remember thinking “Huh, they keep telegraphing how important the metaverse is, I bet it’s a really important dungeon later on.” That’s what happens. “Man they keep showing this bald dude, I bet he’s a boss later on. He’s totally super important.” Shido turns out to be one of the most important bosses.

I’m not saying you should NEVER telegraph your twists. In Persona 4, the twist is telegraphed, but in such a way that, unless you were REALLY paying attention, you wouldn’t pick up on it on your first play through. Everything about Persona 5 is so easily predicted, and that’s my problem. When the twists are revealed, they’re posed as big shockers, when in reality, I’d guessed them HOURS before.

Even though I think the OST was pretty darn good, after a while, a lot of the music felt kinda samey. It was still GOOD, but they all blend together in the end. There’s a lot of funk, a lot of songs with similar sounding vocals. A lot of the same, over and over again. Listening to the tracks on their own feels great. The music outside of the context of the game is a fantastic album. Playing for 10 hours and listening to the music back to back, though, makes everything melt together. Persona 4 didn’t have this problem. Each track stood on its own, outside of the game AND in the context of the game itself.

I think one of my biggest problems with the game, however, is the main cast of characters. Some of them are great. Futaba felt fresh and new and well developed. Yusuke was funny and entertaining and made me laugh consistently through my journey. Haru, though quite bland at times, was charming and the balance the team needed in terms of personality. However, others are quite disappointing.

Ann is very one dimensional and flat. She’s a one note character, and even though I do like her, she’s rather forgettable in my opinion. She doesn’t have the humour or charm that Yusuke has, so she ends up being flat and bland. A character I could see in any JRPG. That’s a little disappointing considering she was the first party member we meet.

Ryuji is loud, obnoxious, annoying, and stupid. I was constantly infuriated with how idiotic and moronic he was. His character didn’t change much throughout the story either, so he was annoying and stupid for over 100 hours of gameplay. I know some people think he’s funny, but the whole “HEY EVERYONE WE’RE THE PHANTOM THIEVES” bit really made me angry. At the end, I truly disliked him.

Another character that was very annoying was Morgana. The character himself wasn’t TOO bad. It was weird how badly he wanted Ann, and some of the phrases he used rubbed me the wrong way. (Like being highly possessive over Ann, using phrases that made it sound like she was HIS and like she was a prize to be won) The biggest problem with Morgana though was the fact he forces you to go to sleep SO. OFTEN. In Persona 4, every time you go to sleep, it’s YOUR decision to sleep. “I’m feeling tired today, I should go to bed.” To me, there’s a HUGE difference between that and “Hey don’t you feel tired????? You should sleep early tonight!” In a game about time management, where every second is important, it stressed me so bad whenever Morgana would force me to go to sleep.

So, after all that, what do I think of Persona 5? Well, it was very hard not to go into this game with high expectations. Persona 4 Golden is my favourite game of all time. I was hoping for a game that took everything that made Persona 4 great and amplified it. Did that happen? Yes and no. The gameplay is a step up from Persona 4. The visuals are STUNNING. The side characters have much better social links. I think, though, the game falls flat on its face in terms of main characters and story focus. The game dragged in a lot of places, and I honestly felt like it could have been a 75-hour game instead of a 100-hour game. When I put the controller down, I wasn’t jumping to come back and play. Instead, I was content to wait a day or two. It didn’t grab me nearly as much as I had hoped.

Is it my fault for going in with such high expectations? Should I have dampened what I wanted in the game, and gone in hoping for nothing? Who knows.

Everything said I did enjoy this game. In terms of JRPG’s, it’s actually pretty good. And I think if you’d never played another game in the Persona series, you’d really enjoy it! I don’t feel bad about the time I’ve spent with it, despite all the flaws the game has. It will be interesting to see how I feel on a New Game + run.

If you’re going in thinking this will be as good, or better, than Persona 4, you might be disappointed. It’s still worth your time, though. If you go in wanting some very pretty, well-executed game play with some awesome side characters, I think you’ll be able to enjoy it. If you want a diverse, deep cast of main characters with a fantastic main story, stick to Persona 4.

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll Favorites 2018 Part Two: VIDEO GAMES!

Welcome back for Part Two of Crunchyroll Favorites 2018! Yesterday, we shared our favorite anime and manga of the past year, but this time, it's all about our favorite VIDEO GAMES!

  I always like to start these end-of-year lists by saying something like "2018 was no 1998 (or 2005, or 2017)," but y'know what? 2018 was a very good year for video games, and I don't feel right saying otherwise. Games about dads, games about the dead, people still playing Overwatch and Breath of the Wild with plenty of gas left in the tank, we got a new Call of Duty and a new Assassin's Creed as expected, and I told an ungodly amount of people to buy Stardew Valley for their Switches.

  The rules were simple: only games that were released (or received a re-release) in 2018, or had a major update or expansion. Now, let's get started!

  Nate Ming

Dragon Ball FighterZ- What a world we live in where the purest, meanest fighting game to come out in 2018 is also its most beautiful. FighterZ is exacting and ruthless when it comes to advanced play, but is still accessible enough to let new players have a total blast. And for once, it's a Dragon Ball game that not only plays excellently, but is filled to the brim with callbacks to the manga, TV anime, and movies--what absolute perfection.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life- The end of Kazuma Kiryu's long, violent road took us from the sleepy streets of a Hiroshima neighborhood back to the bustling Kamurocho. The Yakuza games are so perfect, and full of so much to do: recruiting for a gang, managing a baseball team, adopting kittens, lifting weights, babysitting, beating the crap out of people--this was the best way to say goodbye to the Dragon of Dojima, and a surprisingly thoughtful and emotionally smart look at masculinity, fatherhood, and legacy.

God of War- The other Dad Game this year was also a great ride, this time dealing with a regretful father who wants to make sure his child never ends up like him. This game really felt like a long holiday weekend with my own old man, making it equal parts endearing and infuriating.

Return of the Obra Dinn- A rich, multilayered mystery from the creator of the equally-slick Papers Please, there were no games in 2018 that took over my life like The Return of the Obra Dinn. I was taking notes, studying the ship's layout and crew's roles, and basically becoming the investigator character as I worked to find out what killed everyone aboard the H.M.S. Obra Dinn. What a ride.

Into the Breach- I'm kind of a perfectionist, which makes a game like Into the Breach so much more difficult for me to play. This is a game about either making hard turn-based giant mech-vs-kaiju choices and living with them, or constantly resetting the timeline to try and get things perfectly right this time around. Spoiler alert: you very rarely will.

Honorable Mentions: GRIS, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Mega Man 11

Cayla Coats

    Hollow Knight (NS)- I’m a big fan of so-called “Metroidvania” action/adventure/platformer games, and Hollow Knight is the best I’ve played in a long time. The game feels wonderful to control, the player character and attacks both having a real sense of weight to them. Wrap it all up in some beautiful 2D sprite and background artwork as well as an ethereal and haunting soundtrack and you’ve got one great game and one happy Cayla.

Soulcalibur VI- I honestly haven’t played a Soul game since Soulcalibur II, and just happened to play this entry after my roommate bought it. And I love it. Every character is a joy to use, and offers the seemingly impossible mixture of accessibility and complexity. Also Voldo is still… Voldo, and that’s worth something, right?

Night in the Woods (NS)- I missed out on this indie gem when it first launched in 2017, but thanks to the surprising indie game oasis that is the Switch, I got to enjoy it early this year! Equal parts Animal Crossing, Gone Home, and Twin Peaks, this cute-but-creepy coming-of-age tale makes the best of its midwestern setting.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate- I mean… it’s Smash. It still rules. There are approximately 3 billion really fun modes to try out and 9 billion characters to unlock. It’s just good. Go play it.

  Nicole Mejias

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate- The amount of hype this game generated was one of an undying level. Was that hype warranted? Oh, hell YES! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an insanely fun game with unending hours of mayhem for you and your buddies! And most importantly, EVERYONE is there!

Yakuza Kiwami 2- I’ve been playing through every single Yakuza game available, and it’s been one gaming journey that I’m glad I took! The series really has it all: hot-blooded action, romance, heart-wrenching drama, and even comedy, which wasn’t something I was expecting at all. Some of the fights in this game had me on the edge of my seat and made me fall completely in love with the series. If you haven’t checked out the series yet, now’s the perfect time!

Battle Chef Brigade (NS)- Ever since I heard about this game, I’ve been itching to play it. A challenging puzzle game with some beat ‘em up elements? I’m ALL IN! Battle Chef Brigade did not disappoint; it’s such a charming game with a lively cast of characters and intriguing Iron Chef-like story! My only complaint is that it was over way too soon and it left me hungry for more.

Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee- Pokémon is pretty important to me; playing Pokémon Red as a kid helped me grasp the English language when I was still living in Puerto Rico. Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee is a passionate love letter to Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow, and experiencing all the battles and events from those past games in this brand-new one was a delight! A must for Pokémon fans for sure!

Deltarune- Deltarune is probably one of the biggest surprises in 2018, with Toby Fox giving us the most delightful of treats on Halloween! It didn’t take long for me to be smitten with this new world with some familiar faces we all know and love. This time around, your choices don’t matter, but what will that mean for the next chapter? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Daniel Dockery

Dragon Ball FighterZ- Finally, Dragon Ball gets a fighting game that lives up to the franchise’s immense legacy. Not only is it fun, but it’s a huge “LOOK AT HOW AWESOME THIS IS!” love letter to the series as a whole.

Monster Hunter World- I’ve been playing Monster Hunter since 3, and I must say that while I deeply enjoy the 3DS entries, it was nice to really feel the scale of these gargantuan beasties that I’m tracking down. Switch Axe 4 Lyfe.

Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee- Didn’t expect to like this game. Ended up loving this game. Tattoo Pikachu on my eyeballs, for I need to see nothing else.

That One Mission From Red Dead Redemption 2 You Know The One I’m Talking About- Walking up to a mansion with your crew to rescue a boy, fighting your way through it, and then burning the whole thing to the ground is a high moment in a game that could go from satisfying to “JUST EQUIP THE RIGHT GUN, ARTHUR, COME ON” in a heartbeat.

Luigi’s Mansion 3DS- My favorite Mario-related game that isn’t Kart or Smash Bros. came out on the 3DS. Clear the mansion of its ghosts for the sixth time in my life? Gladly, Professor E. Gadd.

Peter Fobian

God of War- An awesome reimagining of an old franchise, and one of my greatest hopes for ambitious narrative single player titles in the AAA industry. It absolutely deserved every award it got in the Game Awards. The story, characters, and world were all top-notch. The cinematics were fantastic and brutal. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Monster Hunter World- My first dip into the Monster Hunter franchise, this game probably had the biggest skill curve I’ve ever seen in cooperative gameplay, with mechanics stacked on mechanics that seemed to have no bottom. I got a lot of frustrating and satisfying hours out of this game, and I’m still not sure if I’ve discovered even half the things you can do in it.

Hitman 2- There were a lot of questions about the future of Hitman that were riding on this release, and I’m very happy to report that the newest title in the franchise is extremely good. This one got particularly creative, with some of the mission set-ups and conditions and each new map was excellent, even making American suburbia into an interesting mission area.

GRIS- I’m glad I was able to find time to play this final addition before years end because it definitely deserves a spot. Although I can’t really say GRIS is unique in being a atmospheric platformer focusing on depression/loss, it might be the best. The visuals and soundtrack were amazing, especially together. The environments and use of camera were also excellent. Also go play The Missing.

Dead Cells- I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of indie roguelike platformers and Dead Cells, as above with GRIS, may be one of the best of its genre. It’s got a cool aesthetic, some wicked gallows humor, and an unlocking system of items and powers that can result in the player having to formulate some absolutely ridiculous strategies from life to life.

Joseph Luster

Celeste- Playing Celeste reminded me of all the fun I had when Super Meat Boy first came out, but this time I actually cared about the characters and the journey. The narrative is woven into the action, as it should be in a video game, and it actually has something interesting to say. The way Celeste treats difficulty and accessibility will no doubt prove influential, as well. At its core, though, it’s simply an unbelievably tight platformer that provides ample challenges for players of all skill levels.

Ni no Kuni II- The sequel to Ni no Kuni isn’t actually all that much like Ni no Kuni. The battle system is completely different, the Pokémon-esque monster collecting is gone, and the story has been boiled down to the bare essence of Japanese RPG motivation. It’s almost embarrassingly earnest, but it’s also gorgeous, and combat is a joy for the full 30-hour run. There’s plenty to play around with after the credits roll, too, but I was mostly just proud of myself for actually having fun with and completing an RPG in 2018.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon- The award for “Game I Actually Bothered to Beat Multiple Times in 2018” definitely goes to this unassuming bite-sized prequel to Koji Igarashi’s upcoming Bloodstained. It’s so much more than just a downloadable “extra,” and in many ways it out-Castlevania IIIs the original Castlevania III. Play this game immediately if you haven’t, and take the time to get every ending for maximum satisfaction.

Dragon Ball FighterZ- I don’t really play fighting games anymore. I haven’t in years, despite trying to pick them back up seriously when Street Fighter V first came out. Not living with roommates anymore has a lot to do with it, but that enthusiasm roared back to life when Dragon Ball FighterZ arrived in jaw-dropping style. This is the essential anime fighter, and nothing made me and my friends cheer and shout at the screen more in 2018.

Iconoclasts- Like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Iconoclasts came early in the year and started 2018 out on a really strong note. This is probably the “smallest” a list has ever been for me in terms of the sheer scale of the games themselves, but titles like Iconoclasts just fired up my imagination more than the big AAA beasts. From the lush sprite-based visuals to the soundtrack and the excellent pacing, this one is going to stick in my mind for years to come.

Nick Creamer

Hollow Knight/Dead Cells- Though both of these were technically 2017 releases, their continuing developer support and my own delayed play schedule means I’m celebrating them now anyway. And they’re great! If you enjoy games like Metroid or Castlevania, you absolutely must pick up the richly atmospheric and remarkably vast Hollow Knight. If you want an experience like that in a more arcadey, roguelike package, Dead Cells cannot be missed. It’s nice to live in a golden age of challenging indie action games!

Celeste- Speaking of great indie titles, this year’s Celeste likely needs no introduction. Though it theoretically falls in the same punishing platformer space as something like Super Meat Boy, Celeste’s charming storytelling, neatly partitioned challenges, and robust assist features mean it’s a platforming experience that basically anyone could enjoy. Thoughtfully written and brilliantly designed, Celeste shouldn’t be missed by any platforming enthusiasts.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate- I am perfectly comfortable admitting I’m one of those Smash fans who up until now, basically just stuck to Melee. The combat in Brawl and Smash 4 always just felt far too floaty for me, with both my character jumps and the impact of my hits making me feel like I was constantly wearing a big balloon suit. Ultimate counters that complaint with crisp, speedy combat harkening back to Melee’s rapid-fire exchanges, along with the most luxurious suite of characters and secondary modes Smash has ever seen. This truly feels like the definitive Smash experience.

Monster Hunter World- MHW was my first experience with the Monster Hunter franchise, and it was glorious. Well, it was eventually glorious--the first fifteen or so hours were an interminable learning process, while I figured out the game’s inscrutable controls and systems, ponderous movement, and extremely vague directions. But after that, hoo boy! Monster Hunter is essentially “Boss Rush: The Videogame,” complete with dozens of intimidating creatures who all demand their own hunting strategy. As an insatiable gobbler of challenging RPG-adjacent action games, I had great times hunting deadly beasts all through last winter.

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And that's a wrap for Part Two! Be sure to join us at the same time tomorrow for our third and final installment, focusing on the EVERYTHING ELSE of 2018--movies, TV, books, comics, food, life experiences, and more! If you're in the mood for more CR Favorites, here are the links to past years' features:

  Crunchyroll Favorites 2017 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2016 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2015 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2014 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2013 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2012 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll News' Best of 2011 Part One | Part Two

What were your favorite video games of 2018? Remember, this is a FAVORITES list, not a BEST-OF list, so there are no wrong answers--sound off in the comments and share your favorites!

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Nate Ming is the Features Editor for Crunchyroll News and creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing. His comic, Shaw City Strikers, launches January 15, 2019.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com